1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to seating arrangements within recreational vehicles, which seating arrangements are convertible from one configuration to at least one other configuration.
2. Acknowledgement of the Prior Art
There are a great many seating arrangements which are convertible to bed arrangements available for recreational vehicles. Some seating arrangements which are convertible between configurations are known for multi-person transport such as buses or trains.
Examples of convertible seating arrangements or convertible bed/seating arrangements or convertible bed arrangements in recreational vehicles, passenger vehicles or even in domestic living quarters are as follows.
Hanemaayer in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,946 issued on Nov. 5, 1985 discloses a compact motor van in which four single seats convert into two single beds with space between them. The single seats pivot on central pivots so that they may be arranged to face forward during transport of the vehicle, and may be pivoted to face each other for social times when the vehicle is at rest, and may have their seat portions alignable and extensible for conversion into beds.
Onimaru et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,706 issued on Feb. 7, 1989 discloses a pivotable seat which may be pivoted from a forward facing driving position to an angled position on opening of the door.
Kawashima in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,188 issued on Dec. 20, 1988 discloses another swivel seat for a vehicle.
Joslyn et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,713 issued on Jun. 27, 1976 discloses yet another swivel seat arrangement.
Maguire in U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,977 issued Feb. 12, 1963 discloses a convertible sleeping arrangement which is not intended for use in recreational vehicles. Maguire is concerned with an arrangement of beds which may be located to form a L-shape in a corner if desired.
Ziegenfuss in U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,494 issued Jan. 24, 1950 discloses another such arrangement of beds which may be arranged in a corner at right angles if desired. Again, the Ziegenfuss arrangement is not intended for recreational vehicles.
Sherbert et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,597 issued Jul. 15, 1969 discloses an arrangement for a passenger vehicle where two-person seats may be arranged either longitudinally against a wall of the vehicle or may be arranged in forward facing pairs. The seats are swivelled about a suitably located pivot for this purpose.
Known practical arrangements in conventional recreational vehicles include arrangements where a two or three-person settee is located longitudinally, the seat back portion of the settee is located against the outside of the vehicle. Such a settee may be converted to a double bed by a mechanism that allows the seats and the set backs to be located with their planes continuous and horizontal to form a bed base. Such mechanism has, in the past, been somewhat complex and support for the full area of the bed base must be provided.
Another seating/bed arrangement in use involves two facing two-person seats across the vehicle, i.e. perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, usually with a table between them. In this arrangement, the table may be lowered to seat level and loose back support cushions from the seat may be used to complete the mattress.
Passenger vehicles for multi-person use sometimes have seats with back rests which may be swung from side to side of the seat to convert seating arrangements from pairs of oppositely facing seats to seats which are all facing in the same direction.
The above discussion of known arrangements is intended to be merely exemplary of the large number of seating arrangements of which are available in a large variety of environments. In spite of the apparent plethora of choice of seating arrangements a problem remains.
Where space is limited in a recreational vehicle a L-shaped seating arrangement is desirable for social times when the vehicle is at rest. Such an arrangement is believed to be space saving and, moreover, it is also psychologically more restful than an in line arrangement down one side of the vehicle. Such an arrangement is, however, not conducive to easy conversion into a suitable bed.
Many jurisdictions have rules as to the orientation of seats for passengers during travel of the vehicle. Sometimes such seats must all be facing forwards. They also inhibit easy design considerations for time spent within the vehicle when it is at rest.
The present inventor has addressed these problems.